Customer Reviews

Monster on a Leash

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Say what you will about this Tower Of Power CD, it has some very good tunes on it. After a very bad lull of electrified, synthisized, pre-programmed, horn chorus-filled, undignified pretentious "music" (and I use the term loosely) during the 80s, when the premium was on formula rather than substance, and the record producers and club owners had pretty much outlawed REAL bands (you know the ones with real bass players, real guitar players, real horns, and a real drummer), Tower Of Power came back ready to play. Sit back while I tell you how I really feel!!

In the 70s, when I was in college, Tower Of Power was unlike any other band because they crossed all types of music and cultures. It moved me because it was real, gritty funk. Those guys were funky. They didn't call it East Bay Grease for nothing! And that's what everyone loved about them. The music was uncompromising and free and that led to their appeal.

In the 80s, the dynamic of the music business changed. My opinion was that the club owners dictated a lot of what was happening. Music was in a growth period. And financially, it was more advantageous to have smaller groups to pay than larger ones. So horn-based groups tended to break up. TOP didn't break up, but they had to deal with the trends of the day, that included horn chorus interfaces on keyboards that eliminated the need for full horn sections; the development and refinement of drum machines; the infusion of disco/techno music and the beginnings of rap, which meant the beginning of sampling, rather than full-fledged song development. Everyone was too busy or too high to deal with a lot of lyrics that made sense or complicated rhythms and song changes. Simple was better.

So TOP and other groups were highly inactive during the 80s. The albums they put out with disco overtones were not very good. That wasn't what they cut their teeth on, and their enthusiasm, or lack of it, showed on the albums. So this is their first of many albums during the 90s. And they went back to the formula that worked. No cheesy synths on this, no disco beat. Just the formula. East Bay Grease.

Is this a classic album? Maybe not, but it's enjoyable to say the very least, and there are some memorable songs on it. The single "YOU CAN'T FALL UP" was not one of my favorites. The sax solo doesn't crank up until the song is over. Not good. Especially for a sax player.

I do have my favorites though. I really like "PERSONAL POSSESSIONS". The guitar solo is a thing of beauty and the song is reminiscent of some of their earlier mid-tempo jams. The horns work very well against the melody. Also good are "MISS TROUBLE", "A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE" and "MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE", in honor of one of their favorite east coast clubs. Tom Bowes is an excellent lead singer and did a reputable job on this album.

Before you're overly critical of this album, consider the times and what had gone on in music up to that time. Someone already wrote that it was good driving music -- and that, my friends, is something we all need. You won't lose with this one in your collection.

TOP is better than this. But this isn't a bad CD. "You Can't Fall Up (You Just Fall Down)" is a very good song. I recommend this CD.

T.O.P. appears to have recreated Chicago 18 without the hit singles

in the 2 months since i wrote the previous review, i have packed my bags, crossed the pacific, and am now living in san francisco...just a bridge away from top's hometown of oakland. i finally got myself a copy of "monster on a leash." (from the $3.95 clearance bin of rasputin records!) it sucks. couldn't hold a candle to any of top's records from the 70's. yet i still couldn't stop playing the song "you can't fall up." and tho i still love top, i can't recommend you shelling out any money for this clunker. stick to the older stuff.

I'm a big fan of TOP, and love their music. This CD is exceptional in my book, as it has song after song of really good music. I too, love "You can't fall up", the horns in that song are mind blowing, and I find myself rewinding it several times just to hear them. "How can this happen" is another song that I enjoy listening to time and time again. This is a great CD to put on in the car and just drive, makes me smile every time!!!!

The love of this group is so deeply personal. I am admitting a connection that is unreal, to me. I witnessed the Tower on the same bill with Carlos Santana in 1971 hours before my son was born. Every time I think about it the music is in the background. Every time they do something else I recall that event in 1971. When they backed up seemingly everyone and his brother-in-law I recall that event. When Paul Shaffer brought them to T.V. after all of those years I recall that event. This album this album this album is another jolt to my memory. ANd I know I've got my Monster on a leash. I know it because it too evoked that seminal event. The most creative personal expression of love I ever witnessed. As I told a friend of mine, Bill Bailey: " Bill if I had wings I could have flown."! Monster on a Leash....in deed!

I've been a TOP fan since the 70's and have recently been replacing my vinyl with CD's. This was a new listen for me as I have never seen it in stores. Wow, what a great recording. Only one song fails to get full marks, (synchopation, with an off-putting lyric that sounds like it was recorded for another song). Just my opinion of course. Otherwise a really strong effort that gets the feet tappin and the fingers poppin.

This disc has more of a pop feel than most of what TOP had done prior to this time. That causes problems for some listeners. My own argument against this disc has always been that it is too slick and overproduced...which, as others have noted, was typical of the early 90s.

Nonetheless, there are several great songs, along with a sprinkling of not-so-bad material on this disc. Standouts include If You Can't Fall Up, Personal Possessions, Miss Trouble, How Could This Happen and Attitude Dance. There are other listenable songs, as well.

If you liked the band's raw funk from the 70s or the synthesized stuff from the 80s, this disc will probably be disappointing...unless you have an open mind. I personally think the songs on Monster are well-crafted and performed. The production values are the album's biggest drawback.

This album is fantastic. Full of more hooks then a fisherman's tackle box. If you're in the mood for mostly feel good horn music, pick this album up!

My Son and I think this album cooks. The vocals are terrific, and favorite cuts include "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" (my signature tune to intro/outro DJ gigs) " A little knowledge " is a danceable ditty and the swing ballad "How could this happen to me" and the ever funk-pumping "Attitude Dance".

One of the best ever by TOP. Other favorites: "Soul With A Capital S", "Soul Vaccination", "So Very Hard To Go", "You're Still A Young Man", and "I Like Your Style"